


West Wind Blowing

by Himring



Series: Gloom, Doom and Maedhros [37]
Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Brothers, F/M, M/M, Separations, Song Lyrics, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-04
Updated: 2013-09-04
Packaged: 2017-12-25 15:42:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/954863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Himring/pseuds/Himring
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During the Dagor Bragollach, a brief respite in the attack on Himring allows Maedhros and Maglor to voice private regrets and fears.<br/>Maglor has a wife he left behind in Valinor. Maedhros, on the other hand, does not know what might have passed in Hithlum since battle began.</p>
            </blockquote>





	West Wind Blowing

 The two brothers stood together alone on the highest tower in the chill light of a winter dawn. It had been another very long night. Wave after wave of the Enemy’s forces had broken against the walls of Himring, yet the vehemence of each succeeding attack had seemed undiminished. Now, it appeared, even Morgoth’s servants must rest a while.  
The brothers looked west, hoping against hope to see Celegorm and Curufin returning or indeed any sign that, outside the walls of Himring, others of the Noldor had survived and held out against the storm. But the pass of Aglon was crawling with foes and all movement to be glimpsed through the pines on the slopes beyond merely turned out to be even more enemy troops being brought up against them. And yet, as they gazed, a west wind arose and a clean breeze swept away the stench of smoke and blood that hung about Himring these days, dispelling the stomach-turning smell of the orcs’ cooking fires far below.  
Maglor took a deep breath.  
‘I am half weary of battle’, he said.  
Maedhros moved a little closer to his side, but said nothing.  
Maglor leant out over the battlements and began chanting very softly:

  
_Tell me, West Wind—you crossed over the stormy sea—_  
_did you see my love? And does she still speak of me_?

There was a short silence. Not expecting an answer, they both nevertheless listened hard. Above their heads, the banner flapped in the wind. There was no other sound.  
Then Maedhros raised his face into the breeze and sang, even more softly:

_Tell me, West Wind—you passed over the rainy plain—  
does my love still live? And will I see him again?_

They were silent again for a while.  
Then Maglor said:  
‘At least I know that she is safe—although not for me.’  
Maedhros replied:  
‘At least I know that, if he lives and if fate permits me to see him again, he will smile upon me when we meet.  For he is kind, although he does not love me.’  
And he put his arm around Maglor’s shoulders.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote first the four lines of the song, then wrote the fic around it.  
> The tune of this song--which of course does not actually exist--is supposed by me to have been reused by Maglor as the musical theme of the second movement of a more substantial instrumental piece called the West Wind Quartet. The composition of that piece is told of in my long story "The West Wind Quartet", which I was writing at the same time.
> 
> Originally posted October 02, 2010.


End file.
